Comparison of a Multi-tined Cannula Versus a Conventional Cannula for Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Ablation in Chronic Neck Pain

Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Facet Joint Pain; Radiofrequency Ablation; Neck Pain

Treatments: Device: Radiofrequency ablation of cervical medial branches

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04152954

19.101

Details and patient eligibility

About

Chronic neck pain is a common disorder for spine specialists. Radiofrequency ablation of medial branches has been proven effective in selected patients for relieving pain. A newer radiofrequency ablation cannula has been developed (multi-tined), allowing perpendicular access. It is proposed as an alternative to the more technically challenging traditional approach. This study aims to compared the technical and clinical aspects of both techniques.

Enrollment: 50 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years or older
• Cervical neck pain at least 4/10 at rest or with activity
• Neck pain lasting at least 6 months and refractory to conservative treatments
• Neck pain is primarily axial (more than upper extremity)
• Success to medial branch block protocol

Exclusion criteria

• failure to medial branch block protocol (pain relief less than 75% on 2 occasions)
• Cervical neck pain less than 4/10
• Neurological deficits of upper extremity
• neuropathic pain of upper extremity
• pregnancy or breastfeeding
• inflammatory or neoplastic lesion on x-ray
• neck cortisone injection in last 3 months
• any medical or psychiatric condition contra-indicated for radiofrequency ablation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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50 participants in 2 patient groups

Traditional cannula

Active Comparator group

Description:

Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy using a conventional cannula, the patient lying prone with a posterior approach.

Treatment:

Device: Radiofrequency ablation of cervical medial branches

Multi-tined cannula

Experimental group

Description:

Cervical Medial Branch Radiofrequency Neurotomy using a Multi-Tined cannula, the patient lying in lateral decubitus with a lateral approach

Treatment:

Device: Radiofrequency ablation of cervical medial branches